Foran falls in Class M girls volleyball final

Emery Filmer

Updated 12:16 am, Sunday, November 17, 2013

BERLIN -- Their unexpected and improbable run to the state final provided some hope for the Foran girls volleyball team and its supporters after the Lions dropped the first two games of Saturday's Class M championship to Woodland. The Lions got farther than expected this season, so perhaps the final was destined to do likewise.

And sure enough, even after blowing an 8-0 lead in Game 2 to fall behind 2-0, the Lions rallied to win Game 3 and led midway through the fourth game, only to come up short. Woodland and MVP Brianna Pacileo were just too strong and the Hawks came away with a 3-1 victory.

"Sometimes it's just a matter of getting the team to believe," Foran coach Julie Johnson said after her team's surprising postseason run. "The last four years we got to the quarterfinals and couldn't get over the hump, but this year we got to the final. Hopefully this leads to something better next year."

If so, it will have to be without eight seniors. One of them, Fallon Bevino (12 kills), was determined to squeeze every last drop out of the season and was a standout in the Lions' Game 3 comeback.

"We knew we had the potential to do something like this but I didn't think we could get here," Bevino said of the sixth-seeded Lions (16-8) reaching the final. "But in the postseason, we really pulled together."

The Lions defeated Ellington, No. 3 Granby and Rocky Hill to get here. But standing in their way Saturday was No. 1 Woodland (24-1) and one of the state's top hitters and servers in Pacileo (21 kills, five aces, 12 digs). Nevertheless, the Lions made sure Woodland's first state title wouldn't come easy.

"Foran never gave up," Woodland coach Jim Amato said. "Their defense kept them in the match against our servers. And Fallon really took it to us in Game 3."

After Woodland won the first game 25-15, the Lions jumped to an 8-0 advantage in Game 2 behind the serves of Abby Amann (12 service points). Foran still led 20-17 before Pacileo finished them off.

But it was Bevino's time to shine in Game 3, especially after Woodland took an 11-4 lead. Bevino, who has also played in three state softball championship games, didn't want it to end as the Lions rallied for a 25-23 victory. Finally, Foran led the fourth game 12-11 before Pacileo and Samantha Lee took over.